Cutting out drywall, siding, subflooring, etc

[Verdeboy]

I keep running into the same problem, whether I'm replacing damaged drywall, wood siding, or subflooring. It's easy to cut these materials out from stud to stud or joist to joist, but I have difficulty exposing part of the studs or joists so I have something to screw the new drywall, siding or subflooring into. Jigsaws and reciprocating saws don't work, unless you want to destroy the studs you need to nail into, and a circular saw won't let you cut flush up to a wall.

I guess it's possible to cut from stud to stud and then "toenail" other studs to the existing studs, so I'll have something to screw into, but this seems like a lot of extra work, especially for larger repairs.

I'm considering buying a rotozip. Would this solve the problem?

Thanks,

Eric

 

[Gary Swart]

You don't need to sister an entire 2x4 to the stud, just a 2x2 will do. I prefer to use screws instead of nails. I drill a pilot hole in the 2x2 at a slight angle, then holding the 2x2 in position, I set the screws in. This method keeps the 2x2 flush with the stud. I've tried cutting the drywall down the center of the stud, but it's too time consuming and you have to put the drywall screws or nails at an angel and try not to break the edge. Having 1-1/2" to screw/nail to it much easier. I use a 2x2 that is slightly longer than the patch so I have an end under the old drywall on both sides of the patch. I just did one of these yesterday, and it was so simple.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Verdeboy]

Thanks,

But that still doesn't address the problem of sometimes needing to cut out a large section of wood subflooring, plaster, or some other hard material flush against a wall in order to replace the whole bad area.

With drywall, you can use a razor knife to expose the studs, but for wood and harder materials you can't.

There's an expensive saw called a toekick saw, but it has limited usefulness, which is why I want to know if anyone has had good luck with a rotozip for these sorts of repairs.

Eric

 

[Prashster]

It's not worth it to partially face cut the material on the stud. It's better to sister studs around your hole and fasten yr patch to that. You have to do headers anyway to bridge the gap, so the vertical sisters aren't a big deal. It's the most secure and you don't risk cutting into the fasteners already on the stud.

 

[OldHouse]

If you're trying to pull up wood subflooring and want to cut it flush with the wall, a rotozip won't do it either. Best it could do would probably be about an inch from the wall if you held it vertically. I suppose if you tried angling it, etc. but I can't imagine that would be a pleasant experience.
For cutting up subfloor, I use a cheap, old circ saw with a blade I don't really care about.
OH

 

[Bob NH]

I've never done it, but if I really had to make a flush cut I would try to find a saw blade that I could put on an angle grinder. I might rig up something so the arbor didn't stick out beyond the blade.

For a small job you might be able to use an abrasive wheel that was already set for flush mounting to cut flush.

 

[Gary Swart]

What I've done with a floor that needed to be flush with the wall is to cut it as close as possible with a circular saw and then use an old chisel to split the ends that remain and take them out. The nails that are left can be a bit of a problem if they need to come out. I've cut them, ground them, pulled them, and bent them over. Whatever works, at least you don't have to worry about neatness. I've never done a remodel job that you could call, "textbook". You have to invent ways of getting from point A to point B sometimes.

 

[OldHouse]

Gary's method is exactly what I do- if that's of any help.
oldhouse

 

[Verdeboy]

I've done the circular saw and chisel method, but was looking for a more elegant way of doing these kinds of jobs. I'm trying to justify the purchase of a new rotozip Z20-4200, but you guys aren't making it easy!

By the way, if anyone knows a link to instructional videos on using rotozips, I'd like to see them. Their website is pretty useless in this regard.

 

[Bob NH]

Buy the Roto-Zip. After you have it you will find lots of uses for it.

But it's not a hammer and it's not the best think for making a hole in a brick wall for a vent. I would be looking at a hammer drill to make holes and knock out the pieces. Then you can cut them with a diamond or masonry saw, or break them with a chisel and/or masonry hammer, and reinstall the pieces.

I don't much use all the base plates and stuff, but a 1/4" or 5/16" x 1" two-flute carbide router bit will let you remove material that you will otherwise have to get at with great difficulty. The usual 1/8" bits are too fragile for much more than drywall or fine work.

I was helping on a community project where they tipped up a 40 ft wall and found that the anchor bolt holes had been laid out from the wrong edge of the plate. I dragged the holes with the rotozip in about 5 minutes.

 

[Verdeboy]

Have you seen the new line of rotozip X-bits? They are 5/32" diameter and there seems to be one for pretty much every type of material out there. The RZ20-4200 comes with a bit accessory pack, but it doesn't say if any of these X-bits are included. Does anyone know?

Here is the link to the X-bits web page.

http://www.rotozip.com/Shop/CategorySubBrowse.htm?IID=66587&BID=18&HID=188064